Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. Have you heard of it? Cookies in spreadable form…!
Cookie Butter is basically the TJs version of Biscoff spread. After seeing it on the blog world quite a bit and loving the adorable little jar + packaging*, I knew I had to buy it myself. *I’m a sucker for a cute outfit.
So what’s this cookie butter stuff like? It is pretty sweet and has the consistency of peanut butter, bakes the same as peanut butter, and is as addicting as peanut butter… peanut butter must be jealous. Cookie Butter tastes like the baby of a gingerbread cookie and a graham cracker. Pairs well with pretzel sticks, bananas, toast, apple slices, and spoons. And after several spoonfuls, I tried to collect myself and actually USE it in a recipe.
Let’s talk granola bars. I like granola bars. They are quick, easy, and make me feel like I’m being good. However, they are usually overpriced, loaded with preservatives and gunk I can’t pronounce, and leave me hungry. And with the amount of sugar and “fluff” some companies pump into their packaged granola bars, you wonder why they aren’t just marketed as candy bars instead…?! Candy bars with some oats thrown in. Who are you trying to fool? 😉
It’s taken me some time to find the perfect granola bar recipe. And I think finally I’ve got it. Chewy, soft, wholesome, and healthy. Not to mention, so easy – they take less than 30 minutes to whip up! That’s my kind of recipe. And they taste just like chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Snacktime just got a whole lot sweeter.
Homemade granola bars will always win my book. 😉
Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola Bars
Makes 16 bars. Bars stay fresh at room temperature for up to 7 days. Bars freeze well, up to 2 months.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup Trader Joes Cookie Butter or Biscoff Spread* (or use a nut butter of your choice)
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup*
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt the cookie butter and coconut oil for about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir until combined and smooth. Melt for longer if needed. In a large bowl, beat the melted cookie butter/oil mixture, honey (or maple syrup if you are using it instead), egg, and vanilla until completely combined. Add in the oats, brown sugar, and salt. Mix well. Slowly stir in chocolate chips. The batter will be sticky.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and press down, making sure the surface is flat and even. Bake 21-24 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Sally's Notes: If you can't find TJs Cookie Butter of Biscoff spread, try using almond butter. The bars may not have the same chocolate chip cookie taste though. I used sugar free maple syrup, but feel free to use honey or regular maple syrup. I've tried it with both and they taste exactly the same. Try using different add-ins, like nuts or dried fruits (up to 2/3 cup total). These granola bars are highly adaptable.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
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I just got a jar of Biscoff and I would love to try this recipe out!! I don’t have any coconut oil though… What can I use instead?
Hi Shaina! Coconut oil is pretty crucial to this recipe – but you may substitute vegetable oil or melted butter instead – the same amount of either.
Hm…if it’s crucial then I’ll make sure to get it before trying out the recipe. I should have it in my kitchen anyway!
perfect! yes, it is a must-have ingredient in my pantry that is for sure!
Oh, Giiirrrrllll, what have you done?! Lol. Never heard of biscoff or cookie butter til now, but the recipe looked yummy, so at the store today I found some biscoff and bought it to try. I’m in trouble! (Or maybe you are for telling me about it?) 😉
So, these bars are currently in the oven, and if the batter is an indicator, I may have a new favorite…. I added some diced walnuts since I like them in my cookies, used dark chocolate chips, mixed 1/2 honey and 1/2 maple syrup (fully leaded version), and omitted the brown sugar since it was already so sweet. I also added about 1/8 cup of ground flax seed to make me feel better since they were so sweet. 😉 can’t wait to try these!
Melissa, your version sounds fantastic! I’ll have to try adding flax next time. I love that idea! I’m so glad you bought bisocff. I love cookie butter/biscoff! it’s dangerous to have around. 🙂
These were awesome! Loved them!
I’m glad to hear it Hope!
How long would this keep? especially in hot temperatures
Hey Hayley! The chocolate would definitely melt in hot temperatures. I’d say maybe 6-7 days with melted chocolate.
These were delicious! My hubby is allergic to nuts and he is now is love with cookie butter! I am freezing them and using them for lunches. Thank you! I look forward to trying more of your delicious recipes =)
I’m so glad you made and loved these, Kim! I have big plans to make them again soon with my new jar of cookie butter. 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
Silly question: if I wanted to make this as granola (clusters) instead of bars, would I simply stir a few times while it bakes? Or would I need to make any changes to the ingredients or amounts? I’ve been very into granola lately and have made several of your other recipes (PB cup granola, mocha java latte granola, triple chocolate granola), and I’d love to try this too, but I like to crumble it into Greek yogurt so I’d like to try it in cluster form. Thanks for the great recipes!
Sarah,
Granola clusters sounds like a great idea! I loved this recipe in bar form, but I might have to try your idea too! I’m guessing you might have to reduce the amount of cookie butter, since that holds them together for the bars. Probably also should spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet instead of a baking dish and stir partway through. Can’t wait to hear how that works out!
You could also try marking the bars then crumbling one into your yogurt….
I will try this tomorrow (provided I can find biscoff or cookie butter in my deprived corner of Wisconsin; I’ve actually never looked before), and I’ll report back! Thanks for the suggestions.
Walmart in my area carries Biscoff spread, so I would guess many other grocers do too. It’s in the peanut butter isle..
Will try Walmart. I struck out at my regular grocery store. Will grab it this week from Walmart and make these next weekend (just pulled a batch of the PB cup granola out of the oven, which is just perfect.)
glad you love the pb granola Sarah!
I found Biscoff at Target and did these as granola, using this recipe’s ingredients and proportions (minus the egg per your suggestion), and the baking instructions from the PB cup granola. It is delicious! I got a bit excited about my first Biscoff experience and used more than I was supposed to (just a bit), which I think caused it to need a bit longer in the oven. So it took about 30 minutes at 325, but is sooo good. Thank you for this recipe. Side note: had a spoonful of Biscoff before a 10k run this morning and discovered it makes a great pre-run fuel.
I am SO glad to hear that Sarah and thank you for coming back to report it. Biscoff as a pre-run uel, now I gotta try it! Usually it’s just peanut butter for me. And congrats on the 10K!
Hi Sarah & Melissa! There are two options to make this into granola:
Do not reduce the cookie butter amount. Simple leave out the egg which is the binder in this recipe. Spread onto a large cookie sheet. Bake time will vary, but I’d say about 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Also, I suggest using my peanut butter cup granola recipe and substituting cookie butter for peanut butter. Here’s the recipe: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/04/12/peanut-butter-cup-granola/
Making these again! I cut them up and freeze them for school snacks. Did you know there is a shortage of cookie butter at Trader Joe’s? The one near me never has it…an employee says they might get one case a day and it’s gone very quickly. Luckily the one near DH’s work is always stocked…and they have crunchy too! Thanks for your recipes =)
I had no idea there was a shortage, Kim! I’m posting a cookie butter recipe today actually. 🙂
Oh no.. is Biscoff GF?
Delicious! I did use about 2:1 ratio with the decadent cookie butter (2) and dark chocolate Peanut butter (1) – to add a bit of protein. I love the soft, chewy texture and the oats. This is keeper! I want to experiment to add protein without ruining the taste.
Everything I have made from your site is so awesome. I am following you now!
Amy D
I have to try adding chocolate PB next time, Amy! What a great suggestion. Thank you!
Good News: I made these and they were WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Bad News: I ate the entire batch by myself in 3 days. Oops. I could use some more will power haha
At these aren’t *that* bad for – I mean, they could be worse. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed them Kayla!
My oldest starts preschool Thursday and I will be making these tomorrow for his lunchbox.
Perfect lunchtime treat.
Hi these granola bars all sound so amazing. The problem I have is we are ground nut and tree nut free and sesame freevin my coffee shop. I have been asked to sell granola bars ( we make everything on site) but all recipes seem to have these ingredients. I also don’t want to use the cookie dough paste! Am I asking too much? Any ideas please!!!
Thanks so much
Natalie Joel
I really want to make these because they sound AMAZING, but the only ingredient I don’t have easy access to or see myself using much in the near future is coconut oil. I can get Biscoff at Walgreen’s, and pretty much everything else on the recipe is a staple that I have on hand at any given time. If I don’t, getting more isn’t difficult. So…any recommendations on a coconut oil substitute?
In addition, could I use a 9-inch square baking dish instead of an 8-inch? I loaned my 8-inch to a friend a while ago and still haven’t gotten it back yet. 😛
Hey Kristen! You could easily use vegetable oil or canola oil instead of the coconut oil. And a 9-inch square dish would be just fine. The bars will be a bit thinner since the pan is slightly larger.
All I can say is “WOW!” These are even better than the cookie butter blondies, Sally! I used a mix of Biscoff and Speculoos, as I was running low on cookie butter and I substituted canola oil for coconut. Even my husband who isn’t into granola-anything liked them! And our boys are begging for more 🙂
To the one who asked if it’s GF, no it’s not. It’s made from the cookies… You could use a nut butter or a soy butter that’s GF, if there are no issues with nuts or soy. You can google recipes for cookie butter and substitute GF cookies or use the nut-based ones that are already GF. Good luck!
Hey Allyson! I am so happy to hear (read!) that your family loves these granola bars. I feel good making granola bars from scratch – I know exactly what’s going in them! Thanks for reporting back, I appreciate that!
Just made these–so good! I accidentally left out the oil, but they still came out great! I did a combo of chocolate and white chocolate chips. Next time I want to try white and craisins! Thanks for a great recipe!
Emily the white chocolate chips and craisins in these granola bars sounds so good!
These are great ! They really do taste like an oatmeal cookie. And I love how they are so chewy and moist. I’ve made others that turn out hard as rocks and you can barely cut them ! These are delicious for breakfast with hazelnut coffee 🙂
Another winning recipe Sally ! Anxiously awaiting the cookbook I pre-ordered on Amazon.
Jean, love your idea of having these with some hazelnut coffee. I could use that comforting combination this morning. It’s 3 degrees here in Maryland! So happy you are looking forward to my cookbook. You’ll have to let me know what you bake from it when it comes!
Sally, what can I do with it if it came out dry? I wasn’t sure what consistency I was looking for when adding oats, and I either added too many or cooked it a moment too long. They taste good but are too crumbly. : (
Hi Jen! A precise 3 cups of oats is what you’ll need. And overbaking them will definitely result in a crumbly texture. Try adding a little more coconut oil, too – that will help moisten things up.
The granola bars were fabulous!! The whole family loved them and I especially loved the alternative for a main dish for lunch. Going to try these with craisins next.
These granola bars are amazing! Thank you so much for a great recipe. I will be making them for a bake sale I am participating in. Any other recommendations that are great for bake sales? Thank you!
Hey Mallory! These brownies would be great at a bake sale: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/05/09/peanut-butter-stuffed-brownies/
Or these too: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/06/20/smore-cookie-bars/
These were insanely good! I used white chocolate and craisins for my daughter. She and her siblings loved them. They are not going to last long at this house.
Hey there! These look delicious. I am curious, have you made them with honey and how do they taste in comparison to corn syrup. Also, do you keep them at room temperature, or store in the frig? Thanks so much.
Hi Kelsey – the storing info is found under the recipe title. And I use both honey and maple syrup to make these, depending what I have. I can’t really notice a difference in taste.
Hi!! Can you double this recipe for a 9×13 size pan??
Yep! I’m unsure of the bake time.
I made these last week, ate them all, and am making another batch today. These are so insanely good! Thank you Sally for another great recipe!!!
I haven’t tried the (famous) Trader Joe’s cookie butter despite being a regular TJ’s shopper, but I think it’s brilliant that you use it here– what a great alternative to peanut butter for folks who are allergic to nuts! Store-bought granola bars are pretty gross, but these look very good. Definitely a good item to make at home yourself.
Hi, an Aussie here, can I use quick oats?
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It worked well, but I thought I would mention to others that I did not care for the combination of chocolate with the cinnamon flavor from the cookie butter. This is just a personal preference- to me, they clashed. My husband does not agree though 🙂 if I made this again, I would use dried fruit like raisins or cranberries instead of chocolate chips. It’s not bad, but every time I bite into it I am just wishing that they were peanut butter chocolate bars instead 😉
Is it possible to leave out the Cookie butter and just use regular butter
Hi Ashley! I don’t recommend replacing with butter. I recommend replacing with a nut butter like almond or peanut.